


we're gonna teach them how to say goodbye, you and i

by trappedoutside124



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, F/M, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Self-Sacrifice, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-04 18:24:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14599017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trappedoutside124/pseuds/trappedoutside124
Summary: IW SPOILERS------------------In the end, the Infinity Stones require a sacrifice if the Avengers want to reverse what Thanos did. Like true heroes do, the original six chose to sacrifice themselves for the good of the world. Their families and friends have to learn how to move on without them.





	1. Chapter 1

Dr. Strange was right for keeping Tony alive on Titan; he was a key part of stopping Thanos and rewriting history. 

It took six months after everything happened, but the Avengers had finally figured out how to stop him. In a twist of fate, Hank Pym and Tony Stark had come together to create 6 devices that would allow its wearers to jump space and time, allowing them to search for Thanos in their own universe and in different realities. 

When distributing these devices, it was obvious who they would go to. "We started this all. We have to be the ones who end it," said Steve Rogers, giving them to the original six avengers. 

"I agree with the old man," said Stark, strapping the watch-like invention to his wrist, "This is the endgame. We are the endgame." Thor, Natasha, Bruce, and Clint all grabbed theirs as well. 

"But what will happen to you guys if it doesn't work? What if he kills you?" Rhodes said, grabbing Tony's wrist. Tony looked at his old friend and smiled. 

"We have to do this Rhodes. We have to."

Rhodes looked like he was getting ready to protest, so Tony turned to the rest of the group to continue speaking: "Strange saved me for a reason. This is that reason. And if I die to save the universe, then that's a death well spent." Everyone was quiet for a moment, letting the strength of his words seep in. Never one for emotional moments, Clint rolled his eyes. 

"Well, guess I'm coming with you. I can't let you get all the credit. Your ego is already big enough." Tony smiled and clapped a hand on his friends shoulder. Banner took off his glasses and stepped up too. 

"I'm in. I tried to run from the fight in 2012 during the New York attack, and again in Sokovia. I won't run this time." 

"I am with you too, Stark. Thanos will pay for everything he did," Thor declared, standing next to Banner. Everyone turned to look at Natasha and Steve. Natasha smiled at the friends around her and shrugged. 

"Well, I'm in. I can't let you boys do it alone; you'll screw it up."

Tony stared Steve Rogers in the eyes. "Well, Cap? You in?" Steve stood still, and for a second everyone thought that the soldier was going to say no. However, true to his nature, Steve stepped forward into the circle of heroes and nodded, never breaking eye contact with Tony. 

"Let's kill this son of a bitch." 

So, the heroes looked at their friends once last time. Then, pressing the buttons on the watch, disappeared. 

\---------------------------------------------------

The original six avengers ended up finding Thanos in their own universe on a distant planet, the gauntlet still attached to the Titan's hand. The battle was hard-fought and they almost lost, but Thanos seemed off. He didn't put up a fight like he did the first time. Or, perhaps this time the team fought with more tenacity. They had lost friends and family and that combined rage poured into Thanos. 

Clint delivered a harsh blow to Thanos as Thor hit him with a bolt of lightning, dodging an attack. Steve and Natasha let all the firepower they had out of their guns and into the Titan. And when he swung his hand out to hit them, Tony slashed downwards with a blade from his new suit. 

Thanos' hand fell to the ground, then infinity gauntlet sliding off. Everything from there seemed like it happened in slow motion. Thanos reeled in pain and anger, falling backwards. Thor and Steve, seeing the gauntlet on the ground, rushed for it. Thanos tried to claw his way over to it as well, the Hulk grabbing his ankle and pulling his backwards. 

"Tony," Natasha screamed, "Put it on!" Tony phased out of his suit and picked up the gauntlet, the stones beginning to shine. 

"No!" Thanos yelled, to no avail. The gauntlet slipped over Tony's hand and molded to his fist. 

Then, everything changed. 

Suddenly, the six of them weren't with Thanos anymore. Instead, they were in a place completely surrounded by orange. There was nothing there, no one else there with them. Hulk slowly changed into Bruce, breathing heavy. Clint spun around in a circle, assessing the situation. "Where the hell are we?"

Then, a voice spoke into Tony's ear. Except, it wasn't just one voice. It sounded like a million voices talking at the same time, saying the same thing to him. Tony sank to his knees with a yell, covering his ears. 

"Tony! What's wrong? What's happening?" Steve exclaimed, falling on his knees next to his friend. 

"I-It's talking to me," Tony whispered, his hands over his ears. 

"Who, Stark? Who is talking?" Thor said, scanning the orange expanse around them. 

"The Soul Stone. It's talking to me." he yelled as the voices got louder. Natasha looked at the gauntlet on his hand and saw that the orange stone was glowing brighter than all the others. 

"That's where we are. We're inside that stone," she remarked. 

"What's it saying, Tony?" Bruce said, kneeling with his friend as well. Tony didn't answer for a minute, listening to the stone communicate with him. The silence was heavy. Then, Tony put his hands down and looked at the friends around him. 

"It told me how to save the world. How to undo what Thanos did."

"Awesome, what did it say?" Clint said, rubbing his hands together. Tony just grimaced, Bruce helping him to his feet. 

"We have to sacrifice ourselves." 

The news was like a blow to the stomach. Everyone stared at Tony, not speaking. Tony continued: "It needs a sacrifice of souls to be able to be wielded. But to bring everything back to normal, all the stones need a sacrifice this time. A big one. They need souls of importance."

"They need Earth's mightiest heroes," Thor said, nodding his head. 

And in that moment, they all knew it was the end. This was the path they had all walked together for the last decade. This is what is has been leading too. All of the heroes looked around at each other, letting the news sink in that this may be their last moments. Bruce, looking at the ground, began to nod. For years, he had been "cursed" with the Hulk. He had given the world destruction and pain along with his scientific research. By doing this, he felt like he could finally call himself a hero. 

"I'll do it. If this is what it takes, I'll do it," He said, putting a hand on Tony's shoulder. 

"Thanos killed my wife and kids when he destroyed half of the universe," Clint said, tears threatening to spill over, "I will do whatever it takes to bring them back. Laura would understand." 

"I have no regrets. You guys are my family. It would be an honor to die with you," Natasha said, looking around. These people had accepted her; all of her. They loved her despite her dark past and her duplicitous nature. They had allowed her to call herself a hero. Steve came and put his arm around her, pulling her into him.

Steve smiled sadly. "Over 70 years ago, I sacrificed myself for the world. Or, at least I thought I did. I think my lifetime is up. Like Tasha said, to go with you guys would be the greatest honor of them all. But, someone has to go back and tell our loved ones what happened. What we did." 

Thor, with a sigh, stepped forward. "I will go back. Not because I am scared to die, however. With everything I have lost, I wish to welcome Death with open arms." Thor gritted his teeth, willing himself not to cry, "But I am a king. And I suspect that some Asgardians may have escaped Thanos' attack on my ship. I have to go find my people, and then the people of the nine realms. I need to finish what my Father started, and a king's utmost honor is to die with his people."

Tony nodded, looking around at his friends. "Okay, then it's decided." He looked down at the gauntlet. "Hey Thor?" he said, his breath catching and wavering, "tell Pepper that I love her, okay? And that I will always love her for loving a screw-up like me. And that I'm sorry. And tell Peter that no matter what anyone says, he's my kid. And I am so proud of him." Thor nodded, pulling the man into a hug. 

"Of course I will, Stark. Anyone else have anything they want me to say?"

"Tell Laura and the kids that I love them endlessly, and that I'll always be watching," Clint said, his throat tightening. 

Steve thought of his best friend. "Tell Bucky that I love him. That I'll miss him. Tell him that just because my line ended, doesn't mean his will."

And then all six avengers were in a massive group hug in the middle of the Soul Stone, and everyone was crying. Crying because this was the end, crying because they were with their best friends in the whole world. After minutes of just crying and loving on each other, they pulled apart and formed a circle. Tony wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath. 

"Okay, Cap. Say the words. We all know you've been wanting to say them forever," he said to the man next to him. Steve looked at him and laughed. 

"Of course you're making fun of me at the end of the world." Then, he took Stark by the one hand, and Widow by the other. Slowly, they all linked hands. No words were needed at that moment; they had all made peace with their decision. It was time to go. 

"Avengers...assemble," said Steve, his voice as solid as a rock. The group laughed. Tony closed his fist. The world went white. 

Thor woke up in Wakanda, surrounded by those lost on Titan as well as those lost in Wakanda. 

\---------------------------------------------------------  
THE FUNERAL

 

A week later, a funeral was held for the fallen heroes. It was relatively small and intimate, the global memorial service being held the next week. They mourned their loss. 

There were no bodies after it happened, so they had to bury five empty caskets. They were buried out on Clint's farm at sunrise. The sky had never been so blue; a cool breeze ruffled coats and dresses. There was no chirping of birds or buzzing of bees; there was only the sound of the wind running over the trees. 

Rhodes, Sam, Bucky, T'Challa, Peter Parker, Peter Quill, Drax, Dr. Strange, and Thor carried the caskets of their friends, Thor leading each one with tears falling down his face. He had the burden of being the lone survivor, and having to tell the story of their sacrifice had taken a toll on him. He had lost so much in so little time--his only repose was with the Guardians, who had taken him under their wing. 

Those who were lost had come back, including Gamora, Loki, and Vision, as the stones no longer needed them anymore. All three attended the funeral sorrowfully, knowing that their lives had been traded. They felt the weight of it on their shoulders. The gauntlet had disappeared, and Shuri theorized that all the stones had re-scattered to their "proper" places in the Universe. In the case of the mindstone, it had reappeared in Shuri's lab next to the body of Vision. A day later, it was back in his head and Vision was back on his feet.

When all five caskets had been lined up in front of the crowd, everyone took their seats. Thor got up in front of the crowd to say a few words before the caskets were lowered into the Earth. 

"Today, we mourn five mighty heroes who the Earth owes a great debt. These men and women dedicated their lives to protecting those around them. They loved deeply and cared without discrimination. They were my best friends." Thor had to pause at the last sentence, getting choked up. "We will never forget what they did. To their loved ones, know this: in their last minutes, all they cared about was you, and making sure you knew how much they loved you. Despite their shortcomings, they were valiant until the very end." Thor took a deep breath before continuing. 

"The Earth's best defender, a man who most certainly had a heart (even though he swore he didn't)," Thor said. Rhodes took Pepper's hand and squeezed as she burst into tears. She was one month pregnant; Tony would never get to see his child. Peter Parker let tears flow down his face in waterfalls for the man who he considered his father. He promised himself, and in his heart he promised Tony, that he would protect his little sibling with his life. 

"A soldier lost in time, a man who felt the weight of justice on his shoulders and loved with his whole heart," Bucky, a soldier through and through, stood as still as stone, staring straight ahead during the speech. At this part though, his lip began to quiver. Sam sitting next to him put a hand on Bucky's arm to show that he was there too. They both cried together. 

"An assassin with the heart of a lion, a woman who had not a drop of red on her ledger." Wanda leaned into Vision and cried. For two years Natasha had been her best friend and mother figure, always protecting her and coming to her aid when needed. She understood Wanda's self-loathing; she had helped the girl love herself. And now, she was gone. 

"A scientist cursed with a dual nature, a man who had battled the beast and tamed it." Thor and Loki paused at this, gathering themselves. Bruce had gotten close to them over the past weeks, Thor especially. Shuri wept for the kindness and knowledge that had been taken away from the world when Bruce was sacrificed. 

"And an assassin who could never miss a shot, a man who protected his friends and family fiercely." Laura pulled her little boy closer to herself, holding the hands of her other two children. Her daughter sat on Wanda's lap and cried. The oldest son tried to put on a brave face for his mother; he wanted to show his dad that he would be able to take care of the family. He knew his dad was watching from wherever he was.

Thor looked out at the crowd of mourners. "Let us not allow their deaths tonbe in vain. There is much work to be done; a new age of heroes must be trained and brought up. They sacrificed themselves to protect the Earth; their legacy will be how we continue to protect it." With that, the caskets were lowered into the ground and covered with dirt and simple, granite headstones. Then, the mourners walked back towards Laura's cabin for a dinner to continue and celebrate the lives of the Avengers. 

Stephen Strange, however, waited. He knelt down at the grave of Tony Stark and put a hand on the dirt, closing his eyes. At first, he couldn't find the words to say. He thought maybe he should say sorry; he knew Tony would have to die. Instead, he just smiled and said, "Thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice." His voice shook with emotion. Clearing his throat, Strange took one last look at the five graves. "Thank you all."

And then, he put his hands in his coat pockets and left towards the cabin. 

In the wind, he thought he could hear Tony's laugh.


	2. Remembering Clint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cooper wants to be just like his father. Loki thinks he can help him with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about how Clint is remembered. I liked the idea of Loki trying to be forgiven for what he did to Clint in the past by becoming a mentor to his kids.

Cooper Barton was very bad with a bow and arrow. That was an indisputable, undeniable fact. 

After his dad died, the cabinet where his father kept all his shooting gear and cast a shadow in Coopers mind. He avoided it in the house; he was scared of it. It hurt too much to look at. Besides, he had his mom, sister, and little brother to look after. He was now the man of the house. S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers who were left helped with the family too, of course. Wanda and Vision came to visit often, as well as Thor. They helped with money and chores, and kept the kids company. 

About two months after the funeral, Cooper finally worked up the nerve to try out the bow and arrow. He snuck over to the cabinet and opened it, gently pulling out the weapon and holding it in his hands like it was a precious diamond. He gulped. He was about to close the cabinet when he heard a voice behind him. 

"I was wondering when you'd pull that out," he heard his mom say. Whipping around, he hid the bow behind him and turned red. 

"I-uh, I just--" he started, before his mom cut him off. 

"He'd want you to try it out," Laura said, tears in her eyes, "He'd love for you to." She pulled her son into a hug and closed her eyes. "Every day you look more and more like him." Cooper squeezed her back and closed his eyes, fighting tears that came much too often in the past months. Laura wiped her eyes and knelt down to look at him.

"You can use it, but go to the far side of the pond and always make sure Lila and Nathaniel aren't around. Listen for when I call you to dinner because I think Thor is coming over tonight with Sam. And make sure to use the regular arrows, not the exploding ones."

Cooper nodded eagerly and picked up the quiver full of arrows. "Thanks, mom!" He took off towards the far side of the lake, excited to share this connection with his father. 

Six arrows in, Cooper was feeling angry and depressed. He did everything his father used to; he took a deep breath, aligned the arrow into the bow, pulled the string taunt, and let it rip. But unlike his father, Cooper consistently missed his target. Over and over the arrows either fell to his feet, or took a wide turn. After thirty minutes of trying with no success, Cooper threw down the bow and arrow with a yell. Then, he burst into tears. 

"Dad, I really miss you," he said into the wind. He began to gather the bow and arrows to head back across the lake, when he heard the branches behind him crunch. Whipping around, Cooper aimed an arrow at the intruder. 

"Please, I mean no harm," said the man standing there. He was tall and lanky, with long dark hair and a jet black suit. Cooper recognized him instantly and snarled. 

"You're Loki. You brainwashed my dad." 

Loki looked at the ground apologetically. "I am very sorry for that. It was so long ago. I've changed since then," he said, shame coating his voice thickly. Cooper, still wary, lowered the bow and arrow. He just stared at the god in front of him, not sure what to do now. Obviously, if Loki was lying and he was still as bad as his Dad had described him, Cooper couldn't protect himself. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"Thor brought me. I'm his brother. We're here for dinner." Seeing that the boy had lowered his weapon, Loki took a step forward, then knelt so he was at eye level with the young man. "I see that you've been having trouble with this." Loki picked up a stray arrow and chuckled. Cooper's face turned bright red. Loki dropped the arrow and put a hand in his coat. When he pulled it out, he was holding a sharp knife with an intricate green and gray handle. He held it out to Cooper. 

"Have you ever tried wielding knives?" Cooper shook his head, a little scared to take the knife from the man. Loki nodded his head, urging the boy to take the weapon. Carefully, Cooper picked it up. It felt strong and capable, and shined in the evening glow. 

"Watch this," Loki said, straightening up. He pulled another knife out of his pocket. He flipped the knife once in his hand, and then in a flash released it. It flew like a bullet at a tree about 30 feet away from them before sinking into the trunk with a thud. Cooper gaped at the feat. 

"Whoa. Can you teach me that?" He said, looking up at the god. Loki smiled. 

"Absolutely."

For the next forty-five minutes, Cooper and Loki worked together. Loki helped him with his stance, showing him the proper way to hold the knife to get maximum power. Cooper, it turned out, was a natural. He couldn't miss. Loki conjured up clone after clone for Cooper to aim at, making it harder as they progressed. Even when the clones were running through the trees, Cooper managed to at least swipe them with a blade. 

He felt just like his dad. 

Loki had never met a child like Cooper; most children were scared of him. Cooper, however, didn't run from Loki, despite Loki's bad past with the family. Loki enjoyed the company and loved the look on the boy's face every time he improved. It made him feel like less of the monster others thought he was. Not only that, but he felt like helping Barton's son was a way of absolving what he had done to him all those years ago. 

From the house, Laura and Thor watched the two work together. Sam was in the living room, occupying Lila and Nathaniel, taking them in his arms and helping them pretend they could fly. Lila shrieked with joy every time Sam pretended to drop her. Laura loved to her the sound of her daughter laugh after the tragedy they had been through. 

In the kitchen, Laura and Thor cut vegetables for dinner. 

"Thank you for allowing Loki to help your son. It means a lot to him," Thor said, chopping carrots into small slices, "Much of the Asgardians who are left have trouble trusting him. He still feels guilty for his past."

Laura moved around him to put peeled potatoes into boiling water. "Well, Cooper hasn't been his normal self since Clint passed. And I'm not going to lie, I'm still apprehensive about Loki. But look how happy my son is." The two of them looked out the window to see the boys strolling around the pond towards the house. Cooper was talking animatedly, the bow and arrows strapped over his shoulder. Loki was walking next to him, hands behind his back, nodding along to the conversation, interjecting things here and there. 

During dinner, Cooper told his family about his knife skills and what Loki had taught them. Sam ruffled the kids hair. "Maybe you can teach me, too." 

"But I get to learn how to fly first!" yelled Lila, pulling on Sam's sleeve. He winked at her. 

"Absolutely." 

Loki reached for another round of potatoes and met Laura's eyes. She smiled at him. 

He smiled back.

They three men stayed the night since it was so late when they finished eating. Before he opened his eyes, Loki felt a presence by his bed. He conjured his knife into his hand, apprehensive. Cracking one eye open, however, he found Cooper staring at him from innocently from the side of the bed. 

"Good, you're finally awake. Can we go practice again?" Loki stared at the child, dumbfounded. Then, with a smile, he nodded. 

"Let me change into something more fitting. Meet me outside." This time, Loki phased into his battle gear. When he went outside, he found Lila standing there with her brother as well. 

"Lila wants to learn too. I TRIED to tell her that she won't be good at it, but she wouldn't listen." Cooper said, rolling her eyes. The young girl stuck her lip out in a pout. 

"Nonsense. Some of the fiercest warriors I know are women. I would be honored to have her join us," he said, more grandiose than needed. Shrugging, Cooper took off across the lake, running to the patch of trees they practiced in the previous evening. Loki trailed after him. He felt a small hand grab his. Startled, he looked down to see Lila pull his hand into hers as she jumped on top of some rocks that bordered the pond. She didn't think anything of it, using him as leverage so she could reach the tall ones, taking her time hopping along. 

Loki felt his heart swell. He held her hand tight, making sure she didn't slip. 

So, he and Lila made their way around the pond, heading towards Cooper. From his bedroom window, Thor watched the scene, Sam joining him. As the morning sun rose over the cabin, Loki and the kids pranced through the woods, Loki always being careful to keep them both out of harms way, especially the little girl.

"That's not something you see every day," Sam said as he watched the group. "I don't know how Clint would react to Loki being around his family, with what happened in New York. But I'm positive that Clint would be happy that Cooper is happy. He loved his kids."

Thor smiled, emotions swirling inside of him. "Yes, I think he would too."


	3. Remembering Bruce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vision, Rhodes, Thor, and Shuri go to visit Bruce's grave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was hard for me to write a chapter on Bruce because I feel like he was so detached from every character except Tony and Natasha. I did my best!

Rhodes was a military man. He was used to losing soldiers. So, he was used to mourning quickly and then tucking his emotions back into the deep parts of his brain, remaining stolid on the outside. Always focused, always ready to fight. 

When his friends died, he allowed himself a week to cry. He spent it with Pepper, consoling her. Rhodes had planned on being Tony's best man at his wedding; he knew that Tony would count on him to help Pepper during this time. He slept on the couch, trying to force himself to sleep with pills while Pepper lay in her room, wrapped up in as many of Tony's old t-shirts as she could find. Peter was often there too, just wandering the compound and sitting next to Pepper, crying with her. Sometimes, Rhodes would find him curled up in the room Tony had allotted for him, no blankets covering him.

Vision came to help Pepper, too. He would clean the house silently, make dinner without having asked, and lay pre-natal pills on her night stand for Pepper to take. One day, he came and sat beside Rhodes on the couch. 

"I want to visit Bruce," he said bluntly, staring at Rhodes. 

"Why? Can't we mourn him from here?" Rhodes replied. He had scruff on his chin and bags under his eyes. The idea of going to see his dead best friends was appalling at the moment. 

Vision drummed his hands on his leg, a nervous habit. "Well," he continued, "I believe I have been neglecting his memory. After all, we were all he had." Vision looked down at the couch, emotions swirling in him. "He was my father as well." 

Rhodes looked at the android for a moment, before standing up. "I'm going to go shave. Then, I'll call for a quinjet. Tomorrow, we'll go visit him. We'll visit all of them." 

The next day, Vision and Rhodes were off in a quinjet to Laura's house where the graves were. Wanda stayed behind with Pepper, continuing to help her with things while the boys were gone. When the men arrived, they were greeted by Laura and the kids. They walked across the grounds towards the granite headstones. When they got there, they were surprised to see two familiar faces. 

There, at Bruce's grave, was Thor and Shuri, princess of Wakanda. Hearing footsteps, Thor turned around, grinning when he saw his friends. 

"Good afternoon. Princess Shuri was telling me about Bruce's work she found." Thor said, gesturing to the teenager beside him. Shuri wiped at her eyes and then waved.

"Bruce's writing was prolific," she said, shuffling the paper's in her hands, "He was a genius, plain and simple. I can't believe the research he did, the things he found out. And even though he knew so much, in the few times I met him he never treated me like a child. He treated me like he was his equal. These were notes he took on Wakandan technology in the few moments he had to spare. They were genius, and he didn't even know anything about them!" Shuri shook her head, marveling at the man's brain. 

Vision and Rhodes sat down at the grave beside them. "Bruce was a troubled guy. He had a lot to deal with, with the Hulk and all," Rhodes said, remembering his late night talks with Bruce before he had disappeared after the Battle for Sokovia. "He could get down on himself a lot. Science was his escape, his way of organizing the world." 

"He helped me save my people from Hela," Thor said, looking at the gravestone. 

Vision thought for a second, wanting to say something as well. He thought of the care Bruce and Tony took in creating him, in making him just right (or as right as they could). Vision didn't have "parents" technically; he was an A.I. put into a vibranium body. But when he thought about what it would be like to have parents, he always thought of Bruce and Tony. "I choose to believe that Bruce, wherever he is, is happy. I think that he is somewhere surrounded by tools, able feel anger without risking an accident," Vision said. 

"He and Tony are probably causing trouble wherever they are, creating things they shouldn't. I bet Cap is going crazy," Rhodes added, smiling at the thought. The four of them sat there in silence, thinking about what their friends were doing now. After a while, Shuri stood up and gathered her papers. "I should be going back home, now. My brother is probably wondering where I am."

"Do you need a ride? We have a quinjet," Rhodes said, standing up with her. Shuri smiled and shook her head. 

"I brought my own ship. But thank you, Colonel." She shook his hand as well as Visions. She saluted Thor, then headed off to the woods where her ship had presumably landed. 

"What about you, Thor? Would you like to accompany us back to the compound?" Vision asked. Thor thought about it for a second, then nodded. 

"I haven't gone to the compound in a long time. I think it would be nice to see the place again." 

So, the three of them headed back to the quinjet, preparing to head towards home. As the jet lifted off the ground, Vision stood at one of the windows, watching the graves. He put a hand to the window, watching them get smaller and smaller as the aircraft rose. "See you later, dads," he said softly, only to himself. The word felt clunky in his mouth; it was the first time he'd said it out loud. But he knew it was true. 

"Colonel, I would like to do this again next month," Vision said, turning away from the window. 

Rhodes smiled, looking at Vision's reflection in his window. "Yeah, I'd like that too."


	4. Remembering Natasha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam, Bucky, Wanda, Pepper, and Laura remember Natasha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a little extra time writing this because I wanted to get it just right. The next two chapters are Steve and Tony, so I'll be taking more time on those because I want to get them PERFECT and ANGSTY. Hope you guys like it!

What Sam missed most about Natasha was her sense of rhythm. 

Years of training had led to a woman who knew how to strike exactly when the moment was right, never early and never late. She was precise, like a bullet. Watching her fight was almost like watching a deadly, intricate dance, every move planned out ages before show time. This sense of rhythm naturally carried over into her everyday life. 

Natasha would beat her fingers on surfaces when she was nervous. It was a habit she wasn't even aware of most times; it just came naturally. They'd be driving in a stolen car down the highway, Steve sleeping in the back while him and Nat took turns driving. Natasha would absentmindedly start tapping a beat onto her legs, one resting on the ground and one propped up on the dashboard. Sam would smile to himself and tap a beat back, causing Nat to roll her eyes and stop. 

At night, when they were all in the same, tiny room in some beaten down hotel on the outskirts of a random town, Natasha would tap her fingers and toes before she fell asleep, sometimes lying on the floor in a mess of pillows and blankets, and sometimes sharing a bed with Steve and Sam, all three of them constantly fighting for bed space (Steve slept like a rock, so it was usually Sam and Nat trying to get comfortable around him). Whenever she'd start, Sam would put a hand on her wrist or touch his ankle to hers, letting her know that he heard her, and that he was there. Natasha would slowly stop tapping. Sam would keep contact with her until he heard her breathing steady out. 

In the mornings, she'd always wake up first. She was a light sleeper and an early riser, something that vexed the boys to no end. Sometimes, she would find herself pushed to the edge of the bed by the boys, haphazardly hanging on. When that happened, she would gently shove Sam, waking him up too. He'd crack an eye open at her and roll his eyes, flopping back down into place. 

"You are really the most inconsiderate bed mate ever," she'd whisper.

"Most women don't say that after a night with me," he'd retort sleepily. 

"Most women don't stay the night with you, so you wouldn't know." 

Sam would miss that, too. His banter with her. The way she always had a comeback for what he had to say. The way their personalities fit comfortably together like pieces of a puzzle, snugly situated just right. The perfect match. 

He could've loved her, if it hadn't been for Steve. 

Sam didn't like to visit her at her grave. Instead, he would go do what she did so often when they were on the run: he'd meditate. He'd find a quiet place--some rooftop, usually--and close his eyes. Once he felt centered, he would talk to her. 

"Hey, Nat. What's up. Hope you and Steve are having fun up there," he'd start off with every time. Then, he'd launch it explanations of what he'd been up to, catching her up in case she wasn't watching from heaven (or wherever it was they all went to--Sam liked to think it was heaven). Every time he made a witty joke, he'd pause so she'd have time to respond. Sometimes, it was angry talks. All "why did you leave me here alone" and "why didn't you take me with you" and "I miss you" until he got tired and had to leave. Other times, he'd just sit in silence and try to hear her speak to him. 

He heard her in the wind through the trees, the way it swept through invisibly, only rustling the leaves. He heard her in the sounds of Rhodes cleaning his guns, something Natasha did to de-stress. Most of all, he heard her whenever he would absentmindedly beat his fingers on the table. Every time he stopped, he could vaguely hear someone, somewhere, tapping a response back to him. 

He knew it was her. 

\-----------------------------------------------------

Bucky didn't know how to mourn Natasha at first. 

He was so caught up in mourning Steve that he neglected thinking about the others; Steve was the one constant through the trials throughout his years. He was there before and after HYDRA. But Natasha? 

Natasha was there during it. 

After he was gone, his memory of her in the Red Room continued to come back in flashes. Hair tied up in a pony tail, movements so precise and true that she was deemed the Black Widow, taking down men one after the other. He remembered her eyes; they weren't ruthless like the other assassins. They were calm, stoic, blanketing the emotions underneath. He never went easy on her, forcing her to get better by breaking her first. After a while, she began to best him, blocking his punches easily and taking him down in a snap. 

He started going to her grave and talking to her, once he got the courage. He only spoke to her in Russian. It seemed like it was "their thing," his way of connecting with her. No one else on the team spoke Russian (even though Wanda understood a little of it). He would go and describe the memories that came to him, the flashbacks he had. 

He would come to ask forgiveness, forgiveness for the Red Room. Forgiveness for not remembering her. Forgiveness for not spending more time with her. She had chosen him over Tony and her safety; he still couldn't believe it. 

Bucky never called her Natasha when he spoke; instead, he chose to call her what she had been called in the Red Room: Natalia. He had lost so much potential time to get to know her again, to get to know the REAL her (the one that wasn't a deadly assassin, even though that had molded into her persona a long time ago) that he didn't know what to say to her at first, other then he was sorry. 

"I'm sorry I didn't get you out of there," he started with. 

Then, it became, "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you when you attacked me," 

Finally, it transformed into, "I'm sorry I didn't get to know you more, Natalia."

Then, he would sit in silence, staring at her grave, willing to hear something from the beyond. Something that would tell him that she was still there, that she was listening, that everything was okay and that she understood and she remembered him too. 

He never heard anything. 

But one day, he hoped he would.  
\----------------------------------------------------  
Pepper, Wanda, and Laura would all visit Natasha together. It became a routine; a way to catch up, and a way for the kids to play together. 

Once Pepper gave birth to her son, Morgan Anthony Stark, she would take him to see Laura and the kids. Wanda would come, as she had been Pepper's caretaker (along with Rhodey and Peter) and had gotten close with the child. The children would take turns watching baby and playing with him under Wanda's watchful eye as Pepper and Laura caught up in the kitchen. Laura would trade baby secrets with Pepper, and Pepper would give Laura information regarding business and investment, a way of helping Laura in case she every wanted to get back into the job market (she was incredibly skilled at management, something that Pepper resonated with). 

After lunch, they would all take a trip to see Natasha (or Auntie Nat, as Lila and Cooper called her) and spend a day with her. Sometimes, they'd pack a picnic, Wanda setting it up a few yards away from the grave. They would all take turns catching her up on things. 

Pepper gave her updates on the company and on Morgan. She never did find an assistant as good as "Natalie Rushman" was; she didn't think she ever would. She would tell her how she could already tell Morgan was going to be as stubborn as Tony and needed someone like Natasha to straighten him out and keep him out of trouble. 

Laura would tell her about the kids and remind her to give Clint a big kiss for her. Cooper and Lila would tell her about their school work and extra curricular activities. Cooper was excited to share his progression with knife throwing, while Lila told her about her boxing skills that Happy would help her with whenever she visited Stark Tower. 

Wanda was different. Wanda saw Natasha as both a mother and a sister, someone who comforted her during years on the run. She helped Wanda dye her hair when they first broke out of the raft, combing through it carefully before layering on blondes and oranges, changing her into a completely different person. 

"Don't worry," she had said with a smile when she saw Wanda's stricken face, "It looks good and you'll get used to it. Every nine months or so, I'd recommend changing it. You have to always stay on your toes, changing your appearance so the government never finds you."

"You'll help me do it?" 

"Of course I will," Natasha had smiled, hand on Wanda's shoulder. Then, she'd look down at the dye-covered counters and floors and say "Now, let's get this mess cleaned up before Cap sees and gives us a dad-talk." 

Now, Wanda would have to dye her hair by herself. For months and months after Natasha's death, Wanda followed her advice, changing her hair color over and over. Vision was sweet about it, always helping her, his robotic hands running a brush through her locks and telling her how beautiful she looked afterwards (although he always preferred her natural, brunette-mixed-with-red hair). 

But it wasn't the same. He just didn't do it the same way that Nat did. 

So, when Wanda came to visit, she would always show Nat her new hair, flipping it this way and that, describing the process behind picking the color and when she would dye it again, always assuring her that she was changing her appearance constantly (even though she wasn't on the run anymore). 

"I hope you like it," she'd finish with, stray tears pricking at her eyes. When the wind picked up and blew her hair, sending brown or blonde or red or black strands around her head, Wanda knew Natasha was there and she was listening. And hopefully, wherever she was, she liked it.


	5. Remembering Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky gets a trunk of Steve's old things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really really liked the idea of Bucky getting to keep Steve's old shield in memory of him. Hope you guys like this one!

"For you--he'd want you to have it" read the note from Sam. It was attached to a dusty grey and blue trunk, flecks of paint tearing off at the edges that showed its age. Bucky found the trunk on the inside of his Brooklyn apartment about three weeks after Steve's funeral. He'd had been out on a particularly long run, exercising to stop himself from thinking too much. When he got home, he found it just lying there, the note resting on top of it. 

"I have to remember to change the locks," he muttered to himself, grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen and lugging the trunk into the small living room. He sat it on the coffee table and sat across from it on the couch, staring it down. He knew that the trunk was Steve's; he'd seen it when they were at basic training together. He just didn't know that he'd kept it all this time. 

"God, don't be such a coward. Open the damn thing," a part of him said. 

"You don't know what's in there. These were his personal belongings," another part responded. 

Bucky went back and forth, stopping here and there to refill his water glass and pace around the room. After three hours of just staring down the trunk, Bucky got up in a huff, changed clothes, and went out for dinner, hoping a change of scenery would clear his mind. 

When he came back it was still there. 

"Oh, for fucks sake," Bucky said, cursing at himself for being so stupid. Taking a deep breath, Bucky unhooked the latches on the top of the trunk and pulled it open. Immediately, the smell of Steve greeted him. Steve smelled like aftershave and clean linen, like righteousness and everything light in the world. Bucky closed his eyes and let it wash over him; he didn't think he'd ever smell that again. His heart began to clench and he could feel the lump rising in his throat. Pushing through, he began to examine the trunk's contents. 

On the top were dogtags and newspapers from the forties, things Steve obviously kept to remind himself of the time before the ice, before he had woken up seventy years later. Bucky carefully set them to the side. Under that were a pair of leather-bound journals, two ink pens attached to each. Bucky picked up the first one and flipped through it. 

"How about that," he said incredulously. It was filled with doodles and drawings, diagrams and maps. In Steve's scrawling handwriting, Bucky could make out depictions of the Avengers compound, of Steve's friends. He saw maps of the different places Steve, Natasha, and Sam stayed when they were on the run. On five different pages, Steve had drawn portraits of Peggy. "So I don't forget what she looked like" was written on one of them. Bucky counted dozens of drawings of himself, in his army uniform and his HYDRA one. Steve had written notes beside them too, dates and phrases. Things like "does he remember me?" and "what he looked like before" and "he's still in there, I bet." 

Bucky set that one to the side and picked up the other. He opened to a random page, and saw the words, "Today, I went to a museum and read about me--or, the old me. It was weird." Bucky realized that this one was Steve's personal journal and snapped it shut, breathing hard. He put it down carefully, stacking it on top of the art one. He wasn't ready to read that yet, to read Steve's intimate thoughts. It was too early, too soon. He'd get to it, though. He'd study each page over and over, hearing Steve's Brooklyn accent in each phrase. 

Under the journals were pictures. Polaroids and printed photos. There were ones of training camp, of Peggy and Bucky and Howard. There were pictures of modern-era things, like fancy cars, electronic billboards, modern surgical equipment, IPhones. Things others would find dull, but things Bucky and Steve found fascinating; they were leaps and bounds ahead of the things used in the 30s and 40s. There were also pictures of his friends. There was one of Thor and Tony and Steve, smiling in front of a white wall. There was a picture of Natasha and Maria Hill, lounging on a leather couch. There was a blurry picture of Tony and Bruce working in a lab. There was a picture of Wanda smiling and throwing up a peace sign in front of a coffee shop, Vision's arm slung around her shoulders, laughing at Steve behind the camera. Bucky gathered them all up in a neat pile and set them aside. 

"Okay, what next," he said. When he looked in the trunk again, his breath caught. Sitting at the very bottom of the trunk was what made the thing so heavy: Steve's shield. It glared at him from it's resting place, shiny and strong. Obviously, Tony had refurbished it from the Siberia fight. Bucky stared at it, unsure of what to do. Finally, he gingerly picked it up. It felt heavy and capable in his hands, silver and red metal shining in the dim lights. The edges were smooth, untouched. 

Bucky stood up and walked to his bathroom mirror. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then slipped the shield onto his arm. When he opened them, he didn't recognize himself. The bright shield stood out against his grey shirt and black pants. He tried to imagine himself wielding it like Steve. But it just looked out of place, especially with his metal arm winking back from the reflection. 

He took off the shield and brought it to his closet, carefully placing it behind his shirts and pants, hiding it behind layers of clothes. He wasn't worthy to wield it; not yet anyway. But one day, he would be. 

"I promise," he said to himself and to Steve, who he liked to think was listening. 

Bucky placed Steve's journals in a drawer on his nightstand and read one journal entry per day, always before he went to bed. Some were happy and made him laugh; some made him cry into the pillow, the ache of losing a best friend keeping him up all night. Bucky went out and bought a jumbo-bulletin board to hang over the couch in the living room. On it, he pinned all the pictures that Steve had taken, dozens of them. Whenever Sam or Pepper or Peter came over for dinner, they enjoyed looking at the different ones, laughing at the faces in them and reliving the memories they captured. 

Bucky never told them about the shield. They had to know that he had it, but they never brought it up. It was his tie to Steve, his way of feeling close to him. Some nights when he couldn't sleep, he would remove the shield from the closet and practice punching and dodging with it, jumping around his apartment until his downstairs neighbors banged on his floor, signaling that he was being too loud. Eventually, he became comfortable with it. The power of the shield combined with the strength of his vibranium arm meant it could potentially be a deadly weapon. 

One night, after training with it, Bucky still couldn't sleep. So, he picked up a pad and paper from his desk. At first, he just wrote down the different moves he practiced, the different things he learned. Then, he turned to a new page and began to write.

"Dear Steve, I think I'm getting the hang of this thing..."


	6. Remembering Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait, guys. I had a lot of stuff going on and had to put the story on hold. This is the last chapter and the one about the character most dear to my heart. Hope you guys liked it! Thanks for reading.

For months after the funeral, anger lingered in Pepper like a disease. Anger mixed in with sadness and pain. She was angry Tony didn't stay, and sometimes angry that he didn't take her with him. Anger that he'd never meet his child, sadness that they waited this long to even have children. He would never get to meet the child he wanted and loved. 

He was the love of her life, and he was gone. 

For a straight month, Pepper barely got out of bed. Rhodes and Wanda had to spoon-feed her and force her to shower. Wanda drove her to her first doctor's appointment, where Pepper sat silently and barely listened as the nurse outlined a proper diet regime to keep her and the baby healthy. In those moments, she didn't care about herself. She was overcome with grief; some days, she didn't even want the baby. 

It would be another reminder of what she lost. Another reminder that she was utterly alone and completely unprepared to have this child. 

Then, everything changed when Peter Parker starting coming around. 

One day, she was laying in her bed wrapped under the covers when she heard a young voice coming from the living room, arguing with Rhodes. 

"Look, Peter, she doesn't want to see anyone. I know she'd appreciate the gift, though." 

"Okay I get that, and I totally respect that. But I really just want to make sure she gets it myself," replied the voice. Her curiosity was peeked, so she pulled on a fresh t-shirt and sweats and padded into the living room where she found Peter Parker holding a cardboard box loaded with vitamins. Upon seeing Pepper, both men stopped arguing. 

"Pepper, we didn't mean to wake you--"

"What's in the box?" she asked Peter, cutting off Rhodes. Her voice was hoarse from crying instead of speaking for the past couple of days (and weeks, really). Peter put the box on the coffee table in front of her and began pulling out bottles. 

"I went online and looked up different vitamins for pregnant women. B-12, Vitamin D pills, stuff like that. I also bought some rose oil and tea tree oil from the convenience store down the street because they're supposed to be calming, but they were kind of cheap so I don't know how much they'll calm you. Oh, and Aunt May sent over some different relaxing teas for you to drink." 

Pepper just blinked as she stared down at the boy. She hadn't even thought of taking vitamins. 

"I'll, um, go put these in the kitchen," Rhodes said, scooping up the mini-medicine cabinet. Noticing that Pepper hadn't spoken yet, Peter blushed. 

"Um, I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds. I just--I thought that Tony would want me to help. To make sure the baby was strong, and stuff. And that you were okay." 

Tears filled Pepper's eyes as she was moved by the gesture. She felt so much love for the boy standing in front of her. Pepper knew how close he was with Tony--like the son he never had--and could imagine the pain Peter was feeling. It probably matched the pain she felt every day. 

In that moment, Pepper decided that she wasn't going to sit around and wallow anymore. She missed Tony more than anything else in the world; but she knew he wouldn't want her in pain like this. He'd want her to be strong, and to carry on. 

And to take care of this child, this beautiful, precious thing that they had created together. 

"Peter, would you like to stay for lunch?" Pepper asked, already walking towards the kitchen. Rhodes poked his head out from the corner, intrigued. Pepper hadn't eaten outside the comfort of her bedroom for the last month, let alone cook for herself. "I'll make us some sandwiches,"

Peter smiled and nodded, following Pepper and grabbing plates for everyone. Rhodes just stood back and watched in awe. 

From that point on, Peter barely left Pepper's side for the duration of the pregnancy. When she felt sick, he was there with some nausea medication and a trash can for her to throw up in. When she was craving boiled potatoes and raw carrots at 11:30 PM, he ran to the grocery store and picked up as many as he could carry. When Pepper was too tired to get up out of bed, or when she was having one of her bad days when the sting of missing Tony was too much to bear, Peter would pick up around the house, doing the chores that she couldn't do herself. 

He bought her boatloads of pregnancy books, things detailing pregnancy cravings and how to keep your body in top-shape even when you couldn't do intense exercise. She would find them piled up on surfaces in the house, with little notes beside them from Peter. He became her helper, her caretaker along with Rhodes and Wanda. 

One night, she couldn't sleep; the baby was kicking too hard. "Fine, fine. Let's go get something to eat," she murmured to herself and her child, sitting up in bed and putting her bedroom shoes on. She walked out of her room and set off towards the kitchen when she saw a figure laying on the couch fast asleep. She thought it was Rhodey at first since he sometimes stayed over to make sure she was alright. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Peter.

Tucked under him was a t-shirt that Tony had given Peter for his birthday. It was a simple gray "Stark Industries" shirt; nothing special. But it was one of Peter's connections to the man. Tears pricking the corner of her eyes, she went and grabbed an extra blanket, throwing it over the boy. After that, Peter stayed over frequently, Pepper never saying he couldn't. It was an unspoken agreement that whenever he wanted, Peter was welcome to stay.

Stephen Strange started coming around after her child was born. 

Morgan Anthony Stark was born at 5:00 A.M, a screaming, dark-headed baby boy who was the most handsome thing Pepper had ever seen. The minute Pepper saw him, she knew that this boy had her heart and that she would do anything to protect him. He had Tony's dark hair and brown eyes with Pepper's nose and skin complexion. She held him close and cried tears of joy for the screaming bundle in her arms. She never ever wanted to let him go. This was Tony's legacy, this was how he would be remembered; his son would be his pride and joy. 

In the waiting room, Peter and Wanda paced back and forth while Rhodes called friends to let them know that the day was finally here. Laura Barton and the kids flew in to see the baby, as did Thor. When he held Morgan for the first time, the contrast between the small child in the god's muscular arms was hilarious. Vision clasped Wanda's hand tight as he stared down at the boy in awe. Sam and Bucky dropped in to bring presents and balloons. All the while, Peter diligently kept watch, anxiously making sure that they cradled the child's head, forcing them to sit instead of stand whenever they held him. 

After a couple of days, Pepper was allowed to take Morgan home. She had barely put her things down when there was a knock on the door. "You go put Morgan down, I'll get the door," said Peter. He had helped her carry all the gifts back to the penthouse. Pepper went and put Morgan in his crib that Rhodes had built for them, smiling as the boy yawned. 

In the foyer, Peter's mouth was hanging open. "Doctor Strange?" he exclaimed as he opened the door. The dark-headed man gave the boy the once over. 

"Hello, Peter. Is Pepper home?" he responded, looking past the boy. 

"I'm here. Come in," Pepper said, walking out of her room. She smiled and hugged the man. 

"You look great. How's the baby?"

"Morgan is great. A healthy baby boy," 

Strange smiled and lifted up the brown bag in his hands. "Well, I brought over some pre-made casseroles that Wong made. And some rejuvenating tea for you." Pepper smiled and led him to the kitchen. 

"Thank you. I could use some rejuvenation." On cue, she heard Morgan start to cry. Before she could hurry to him, Peter stopped her. "I've got him!" he exclaimed, rushing into the bedroom. Pepper laughed and turned back to Strange who was already putting lasagnas and casseroles in her fridge for her. When he was done, he turned to her with a solemn expression. 

"I'm sorry for not coming around sooner. There were duties I had to take care of," he apologized. He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "Not to mention I've never been very good at expressing my emotions and wearing them on my sleeve." 

Pepper nodded. "It's okay, I understand. I had plenty of company with Peter, Wanda, Vision, and Rhodes. Peter especially helped me lift myself up out of the hole I fell in after Tony died." She watched Peter bounce Morgan up and down gently, trying to soothe the boy back to sleep. "Tony would be proud of Peter for stepping up."

"He'd be proud of you too, you know," Strange said. Pepper swiped a tear from her eyes and smiled. Sensing that he was getting a little too sappy for his taste, Strange straightened up. 

"Well, I'd better be getting back to the Sanctum. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." With that, Stephen was opening a portal and stepping through, closing it before Pepper had time to say goodbye. 

It turns out that Pepper didn't even need to call; Strange came on his own. 

He brought with him different teas and expert medical advice, arriving unannounced at their door. He never portaled into the house, always respectfully waiting to be asked in. Wong would send over more food every so often (apparently, he'd taken up cooking and baking, much to Stephen's pleasure). Pepper watched her son grow under their watchful care. 

Immediately after his classes finished at NYU, Peter would come over and play with Morgan. He'd pick him up and talk to him about school and being Spiderman. Sometimes, he'd fashion a carrier out of webbing and sit Morgan on his chest while he did homework or worked on tech, making use of Tony's lab. Pepper trusted Peter with Morgan, which meant she could catch up on sleep when he was here. One day, she woke up from a nap and found Stephen in the living room, a book in one arm and Morgan in the other. He was sitting on an armchair while Peter worked on homework at the table. 

She stared at the man, dumbfounded. Feeling her presence, he looked up from his book and nodded. "Hello, Pepper. I think Morgan might be hungry."

"Thanks?" Pepper questioned, laughing. Stephen handed the baby over to her. "I took the liberty of warming up one of his bottles for you," he said, striding to the kitchen. 

"Thanks, I appreciate it." She took the bottle and sat on the chair opposite of him and began to feed Morgan. The three of them sat in comfortable silence, the sounds of the city below them and Morgan feeding disrupting the quiet every once in a while.

When Pepper starting going back to work, Strange helped out by watching the boy. He would bring him to the Sanctum, his Cloak acting as a baby carrier while he worked on spells. Wong baby-proofed the place, covering sharp corners in foam and triple-checking that deadly weapons were locked up. When Morgan got fussy and wanted to be held, Stephen sat him on his hip, bouncing him and letting him fiddle with the collar on his shirt as he worked. He bought a fridge and stocked it with baby food and formula whenever the boy got hungry. 

Strange found that the boy was just as inquisitive as his father. Even as an infant, Morgan was constantly fiddling with something, staring and pulling at it. His brown eyes matched his fathers, always searching, always thinking. 

"I hope you're as smart as him, but with less sarcasm," Strange quipped one day as Morgan toddled around his office, the Cloak following close behind to make sure he didn't fall. Peter came over a lot too, much to Stephen's chagrin. At first, he found Peter quite tedious. After a while, however, he didn't mind the boy's company. Peter would take hundreds of photos of Morgan on his phone, print them out, and stick them to Strange's wall. After a couple of months, the walls of his study were beginning to fill up with different pictures of the boy, documenting his growth under Peter and Stephen's watchful eyes. 

One Friday, Pepper came home to find toys strewn all over the penthouse. From the playroom, she heard soft voices and the sound of her son laughing. Pepper crept over to the door and peaked inside. She found Peter and Strange sitting on the floor with Morgan, a paper and crayon moving furiously in Peter's hand while Strange held Morgan in his lap, occupying him with a rattle. 

"Okay Morgan, here you go. Here's our family portrait." Peter held up the colorful drawing he made. "Here's your mom, Pepper. And there's your dad, Tony. Then there's Aunt Wanda and Uncle Vision, and Rhodes, and Uncle Thor. Then there's Doctor Strange, and then there's me, your big brother," he said happily, putting the paper down in front of him. 

"My hair is not that poofy," Stephen protested, analyzing the drawing. At what is that big orange thing in the back?"

"It's a portal! You're protecting Morgan from all the evil wizards out there!" Peter exclaimed, snatching the drawing back with a sniff. "I'm an engineering and math major, not an art major. You're protecting Morgan with a portal." Peter grabbed Morgan's foot playfully. "We'll always be there to protect you."

"Now that I can agree on," Stephen said, brushing Morgan's hair back affectionately. And in that moment, Pepper knew it was true. Even though Tony was gone, she didn't have to worry. She had an army behind her to help with their child. Morgan had assassins, androids, gods, and witches looking after him. He had the Master of the Mystic arts protecting him. And he had the world's best big brother standing by his side. 

Pepper missed Tony every day. She couldn't imagine a day where she wouldn't. But she knew he'd be proud of her and he'd be proud of his son. And she knew that Morgan had people around him to remind him how much he is loved and how much his father would've loved him. 

After they left, Pepper pinned Peter's drawing the fridge. She kissed Morgan on the forehead and held him close to her chest.

"I love you to the moon and back, Morgan Anthony," she whispered to him. She knew that wherever Tony was, he did too.

**Author's Note:**

> Literally cried while writing this. the next chapters will be focused on different snippets of how the loved ones of each avenger try to move on without them. stay tuned for more!!!


End file.
